HOT FLASHES CAUSED BY STRESS AND CORTISOL?
If you are going through the menopause transition you likely know about hot flashes. In fact, hot flashes are reported by 70-80% of women during this time period. If you are simply alive today, you likely know about stress. But do you know about the important hormone, cortisol. Two studies suggest that hot flashes may be caused by cortisol dysregulation.
A small study in 2016 asked women to use diaries to record frequency, severity and bothersomeness of daily hot flashes and submitted salivary cortisol samples throughout the day. After the observation period the results showed that “Cortisol dysregulation was related to more frequent, severe and bothersome daily self-reported hot flashes”.
“Cortisol dysregulation was related to more frequent, severe and bothersome daily self-reported hot flashes”.
Another study investigating the associated between hot flashes in women aged 40-62 and daily salivary cortisol levels echoed this. Women with a blunted cortisol response between waking and 30 minutes after waking and elevated cortisol levels in afternoon and evening experienced more hot flashes; over 8 pre day.
The authors conclude that results from their study “suggest that high frequency of moderate to severe hot flashes may be associated with subtle abnormalities in cortisol concentrations”.
“High frequency of moderate to severe hot flashes may be associated with subtle abnormalities in cortisol concentrations”.
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Devin Wilson, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and Owner of Valley Integrative Health, LLC in Ashland, Oregon. With over a decade of clinical experience including 2 years of training with a John’s Hopkin’s/Yale Medical Doctor, Dr. Wilson combines naturopathic and modern medicine along with cutting-edge therapies. His enduring goal is to help people re-establish, maintain and optimize their health using a patient-centered and holistic approach. Dr. Wilson has completed advance training in anti-aging therapies and bio-identical hormone therapy from one of the most respected anti-aging groups in the country, the American Academy of Anti-Aging (A4M). In addition, Dr. Wilson previously worked for one of the country’s premier stem cell and anti-aging clinic.
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